Home ›› 17 Nov 2021 ›› Editorial
It has been more than nine years since the imposition of the UAE ban on issuing work visas for Bangladeshis. And we are still to observe any inclination from the UAE authorities regarding lifting the ban. Despite several assurances from the UAE government to consider direct manpower recruitment from Bangladesh, the oil-rich gulf nation is yet to act. Diplomatic efforts from Bangladesh towards easing the ban, however, face questions from local manpower exporters and thus need further boost from the top level of the government at a time when dwindling remittance has started hitting the pandemic-hit fledgling economy.
The third largest remittance earning source after Saudi Arabia and the USA appears to be a crucial destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, as the UAE holds huge potential for skilled and unskilled labour force. With its nearly $430 billion economy, the gulf nation has at least 10 globally reputed gigantic local companies employing millions of foreigners. In the lists of Fortune Global 500 and Fortune Forbes 2000, EUA’s conglomerates like Emirates Group, DP world and Emaar properties have been featured for long. Tourism is one of the biggest non-oil sources of revenue in the UAE. A massive construction boom, an expanding manufacturing base, and a thriving services sector are helping the UAE diversify its economy. Nationwide, there are huge active construction projects. Bangladesh can reap benefits by supplying different categories of manpower in those companies.
In a bilateral meeting between Dhaka and Abu Dhabi, held on Monday in the capital, Bangladesh side requested its counterpart to lift the long manpower recruitment ban.
The request was made in the fifth session of the Joint Commission meeting between the two countries, according to a report of this daily.
At present, Bangladeshis can travel to the UAE on a visit visa. Once there, they can however obtain permission and start working.
Economic Relations Division officials said Bangladesh during the meeting also requested the Gulf nation to recruit some skilled and semi-skilled doctors, nurses, and IT professionals for expanding bilateral cooperation and facilitating technology transfer. The meeting was co-chaired by Bangladesh Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal and Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, minister of state of the UAE’s foreign affairs and international cooperation ministry.
Bangladesh also requested the UAE to grant Bangladeshi products duty-free access to their market and also boost their investment here in sectors like hospitality and pharmaceutical, adds the report.
In September, Bangladesh Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed during a visit to the UAE hailed the decision of their government to resume work visas for Bangladeshi expatriates after nine years.
However, the UAE is yet to lift the restriction.
At Monday’s meeting, Kamal said over half a million Bangladeshi expatriates were providing services in various sectors in the UAE at present.
He said there are huge possibilities in different sectors of the Middle Eastern country to import professional, skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled manpower from Bangladesh.
Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training data shows the UAE recruited some 2.37 million Bangladeshi workers till September this year.
The UAE is one of the key destinations for Bangladeshi workers. Many non-resident Bangladeshis are working there and sending a large amount of remittance every year.
It is pertinent to suggest that a number of rogue recruiters resort to malpractice in exporting manpower to foreign countries, while some Bangladeshis living in the cities of the UAE are alleged to have engaged with anti-social activities. These sorts of activities that malign the country’s image must stop without further delay. The law enforcers have also responsibility to punish the perpetrators of these misdeeds.
In addition to pursuing the UAE government, the government, in particular the Bangladesh mission in the UAE can host conferences between prominent and leading human resource specialists, local recruiters, ministry officials and employers of the UAE to interact with them.
The number of Bangladeshi expatriates in the country is officially estimated at around 250,000, most of whom are unskilled labours, employed in construction, maintenance, garments, groceries, workshops, shops and the agricultural sector in remote areas of the country.
The government now should focus on exporting professionals and skilled workers to Middle-Eastern countries including the UAE. Depending solely on unskilled labour force, dwindling remittance earnings cannot be reversed and augmented anytime soon.
